Transcript

Welcome to MN90: Minnesota History in 90 Seconds The University and Snelling intersection in St. Paul is one of the busiest in Minnesota. It's hard to believe that centuries ago this was a wild land abundant and wildlife, where the Dakota communities hunted, traveled and lived. Now 50,000 cars come through this intersection every day in the mid 18 hundreds, the Dakota were forcibly removed to open the land for European settlers. The new arrivals needed an easy way to get around, so a streetcar system was built. Soon it was transporting a hundred million people a year at a whopping 5 cents a ride. By the 1950s, cars and buses had gained popularity, and the streetcar took its last ride. Interstate 94 was built creating more commercial businesses in 2014, the light rail was built along University Avenue. Today the site is under development with a soccer stadium, apartments, a playground, and a 33-foot-tall loon sculpture honoring our state bird. So the next time you're at a red light at university in Snelling, imagine that car next to you is a cow grazing the land in the 18 hundreds. MN90 is produced by AMPERS, diverse radio for Minnesota's communities, made possible by funding from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Online at mn90.org.